Lower Macungie Middle School Theatre presents “The Punch Line” 7 p.m. Nov. 21, 22 and 23. The comedy is staged at the Hawthorne Hotel, which for the past 17 years has been visited by four ghosts. The ghosts are unable to rest because they are searching for the punch line of a joke that has not been written. Inspector Chromium arrives on the scene. Will he be able to remove these ghosts? Come along for the laughs, antics and chaos to find out.

Beatrice WolfneyerEscher plays the character Betty Bateswood, the owner of the Hawthorne Hotel. Betty also has a secret back story. According to Beatrice, Betty just wants everything to run smoothly at the hotel and is very upset because the hotel is haunted and all these people keep showing up. “I just want it to be a good running hotel so I can get paid and that obviously isn’t happening,” Beatrice said in character as Betty.

Beatrice was excited and happy when she was chosen to play Betty. She has participated in several performances in LMMS Theatre and said, “It is just so much fun, I love the community. Everyone gets to collaborate with each other to make something special and we are all a big family. It is really fun to meet new people each year, so each show is a new experience with a whole new set of people each time.”

In this production, Beatrice’s favorite parts include all the chaos and plot twists. She said the storyline is very interesting and suddenly there’s a new person on stage with a new personality. “It’s all a bunch of chaos and it’s really fun. I think it’s also entertaining with all the people that show up, they are so different.” Beatrice hopes the audience thinks it’s funny and she hopes they come in and forget about everything else and leave “really happy.”

Kathryn Litzenberger is props master for the production. Her responsibility includes making props, labeling them, giving them out to the actors and then retrieving them. “I just really like the people here; I have lots of friends here. This department is really good and it’s just fun! I’m creative and like making stuff.” She admits it is a lot of work and time; it requires being responsible, participating, showing up for practices, not messing around and showing off your abilities. The advice she would give students considering theater is that you may not be the props master every year, but you will get there. Kathryn admits she has tried her best when making props. Kathryn thinks this play is very cute; she likes it, it’s funny and energetic with a lot of props and people. “And the set looks nice,” she added. Kathryn hopes the audience laughs.

Emilio Beralcacar is part of the run crew. He is responsible for giving props and moving tables, chairs, walls and heavy things around on the sets between the scenes. Emilio likes this comedy and describes it as “a fun one with the restaurant and it being spooky.” His favorite part is being in the run crew and encourages others to join theater. There are many things you can do, try out for something and if you don’t like it try another the next year. He hopes the audience laughs and is happy when they leave and wants to come back and see another play. He plans to participate in theater next year, “I like how everyone is friendly to each other and we are all just happy being here and having fun making the puzzle pieces build up and come together. It is also an opportunity for new friends.”

Hannah Snyder enjoys playing Claudia, the waiter, at the hotel. Hannah said Claudia is not very good at her job – always messing up and forgetting things. For example, taking the menus and blowing the dust off over the person’s face in a clueless way. “Of all the characters, they are all funny, but they also have a story to them. I get to be the token of the funny character, so I really like that, it is really fun. Last year I was in a comedy and played a serious character, so I get to see both sides of that coin. I am really loving it,” Hannah said.

Hannah became interested in theater because her parents were in theater in high school and college and she always liked singing and acting in her elementary school play. “I came to LMMS and saw this whole big theater department and big auditorium – it just felt so real, so I decided to try out until I got in and if I didn’t get in, I would keep trying out until I got in just to be on stage. It was worth it,” Hannah said. What she likes about theater is the people. She said she made “so many amazing friends through this and even her friends from elementary school have gotten closer and bonded over being silly characters on a stage. Watching it all come together means a lot, always worth it when you are bowing and you see everyone, and you just feel so – I don’t know a better word.”

Hannah hopes people thinking about getting into theater see the play and learn some things about acting, accomplishing it and how good you feel and how much doing something like that with others means. “Come out for a good time. It has a lot of good story elements but it’s also just really funny and silly. There are a lot of really memorable characters and in my opinion good jokes. I think people should come cause it is really fun,” Hannah said.

Patrick Campbell, director, chose “The Punch Line” because it had a bigger cast and more kids could participate. He also described the play as clean, cheesy with heavy props, which is more fun for kids to build and move, its accessible for the jokes and story length. There are 22 cast members and 40-50 crew members. Tickets can be purchased at the door before the shows.